


Song As Old As Rhyme

by ShadeOfAzmeinya



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Hurt! Jeremy, Hurt/Comfort, King!Geoff, Kings AU, Knight!Jeremy, M/M, Prince!Gavin, Royalty AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24117829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadeOfAzmeinya/pseuds/ShadeOfAzmeinya
Summary: Gavin is a Prince. Jeremy is his new personal guard. What could go wrong?In which Gavin is unsure of his new guard but slowly realizes that any man who loves cats as much as him surely can’t be that bad.
Relationships: Jeremy Dooley/Gavin Free
Comments: 15
Kudos: 64





	Song As Old As Rhyme

**Author's Note:**

> For the RT writing community Springfairy event! My recipient was Lee who sent this prompt:
> 
> Royalty AU where [one person from pairing] is a prince and the other is their loyal knight, sworn to protect them from every danger that lurks the kingdom. Which is fine, and the knight is Okay with the duty. Embraces it even though they're wary (because they are from another kingdom, who's service is given as a show of goodwill after a long war between said kingdoms). The prince, on the other hand, isn't as trusting, and worries that the new knight is just a spy, lurking around to try and infiltrate the kingdom. (spoiler: they're not. and the prince learns that after the knight saves them)

Gavin counts the breaths, as the man’s chest rises and falls. An even, blessedly stable beat. In. Out. Rising. Falling. Sturdy. Steady. _Alive_.

Gavin pulls the covers a little tighter over him, fingers dancing across his fingers before grasping it to stop his own from shaking. Sure Gavin has duties he should be attending to. Sure he has councils to meet with, and ceremonies to appear at, and everything else that comes with being a Prince. But Gavin doesn’t move an inch. Couldn’t _be_ moved. As he watches his fair knight breathe despite the blood-stained bandages wrapped tight across his side. Despite the pain, despite the harm. All because of Gavin. 

All because Gavin had to fall in love.

——

Gavin had wanted to hate him at first. Had nothing but annoyance and disdain. He told Geoff as much when he announced to him his new personal guard.

“I don’t need a nanny anymore,” Gavin huffed as he sat across from Geoff in the King’s chambers, a favored meeting spot of the King and his son. Filled with the finest of couches and silk, the gold seemed to shine in the light coming through all the windows as the maids cleaned and served them tea.

“This isn’t about having a nanny,” Geoff rolled his eyes so far back Gavin half expected the crown to fall off his head. “This is a political move. This Lord Dooley needs to feel like he has a place with the Crown, so we’re hiring his youngest son, Jeremy. His son has been training as a knight, so if we put him as the Prince’s personal bodyguard, the kingdom sees him everywhere, we get this asshole Lord to stop being a dick,” Geoff ended eloquently. “Trust me, I don’t like it much either but it's what we’re going to do.”

“But what if he’s awful?” Gavin whined, slouching in his chair in a very princely manner. It earned a hard look from Geoff as he silently gestured to all the staff around to see him pouting. “What if he’s as horrible as his dad?”

Geoff snorted. “What his dad is like means nothing about him. As you clearly know since you didn’t seem to inherit a lick of my dignity.”

“That’s because I’m adopted, you prick,” Gavin sticked out his tongue but then chuckled softly. He could never truly be mad at Geoff. 

“Hey, I still fucking taught you didn’t I?” Geoff retorted with his own laugh, reaching over to ruffle his hair. “Give this guy a chance, ok Gavvers? Maybe he’ll grow on you. Maybe he won’t. You don’t need to talk to him a lot, just don’t be overly mean to him. We need to not piss off this Lord, ok? He keeps a lot of the palace fed.”

“Fine,” Gavin sighed, pushing himself to sit up straight, fixing his hair. “But you owe me like three new cats if he’s awful.”

Geoff laughed, leaning over to kiss his head. “We’ll see. Just give it a shot.”

——

Despite his promise to Geoff, Gavin knew he wasn’t particularly nice to poor Jeremy at the beginning. He didn’t trust him but mostly just didn’t like this uncomfortable situation of having such a stranger now a constant at his side. Gavin didn’t want to talk with him, (sure maybe he was… _scared_ because he’s not very good at first impressions and talking with strangers but that's besides the point) and for a while the knight seemed fine with that. Would do his duties and little more than that. There was a tension there that Gavin made no move to try to break. At least, not at first.

It was early in the morning about two weeks into the arrangement when they had their first proper conversation. Gavin was finishing getting ready, tiredly adjusting his clothing and making sure he looks as proper as he needs to. Every ring on the right finger, every piece in the right place, a tireless amount of adjusting. Jeremy looked just as exhausted, needing to be awake as long as Gavin. Maybe more since the knight was already dressed and armored.

“Sit,” Gavin hummed as he swore he saw the knight starting to sway on his feet. “The chairs won’t bite.”

Jeremy, as silent as he always had been, raised an eyebrow, looking between Gavin and the chair as if to be sure he wasn’t lying about it biting. As if checking If he was actually allowed. But his exhaustion ultimately won over as Gavin heard the scraping of the chair being moved and then the creak of gaining the weight of a sighing body. 

Gavin smiled softly, glad the poor bloke wasn’t protesting about what a proper knight was allowed to do or not. So far Jeremy had seemed stiff around him, like something like this was to be taken seriously.

Gavin started prattling off all the places they’ll need to be today. The things he needed to do and unfortunately Jeremy needed to stand around and watch. Gavin earned noncommittal hums, enough to show he heard him though it didn’t seem like he was paying much attention. Which was fine. Gavin couldn’t expect this knight to care about all his random duties as a Prince. 

Gavin was finishing righting his crown, a circlet flashing with gold and silver, when he turned to look over to his knight. And he froze at the sight. Jeremy was smiling, the look much softer than Gavin had ever expected capable of the man. The smile crinkled at the corners of his eyes, the brown in them melting like chocolate on a summer’s day. In Jeremy’s lap, Gavin’s cat, the friendly bugger always bothering anyone who would so much as glance at him. Gavin could hear him purring from across the room, nuzzling as Jeremy stroked his gray fur.

Gavin didn’t realize he was staring until Jeremy lifted his head at the silence. He paused, hands moving off the cat as if he had been stung. “I-I’m sorry, Your Highness,” he stammered, mouth opening and closing. “He came up to me and I just figured he wanted a pet, I don’t mean to offend-“

“It’s fine,” Gavin raised a hand to stop him. “I know how little Fool forces pets from whoever he wants. He seems to like you.”

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Jeremy said, carefully setting his hand back down to scratch Smee’s chin, watching Gavin as if he would object. “I, uh, grew up around cats. Guess this one could tell.”

Gavin felt a smile pulling at his lips, a small chuckle in his chest. “Well, now he’ll never leave you alone. That’s the price to pay.”

Jeremy chuckled softly, it escaping as though he didn’t seem to mean to. “I think I’m ok with that.”

Gavin nodded, staring a little longer as Jeremy petted the cat. Maybe this knight wasn’t as stiff as he thought. As Jeremy chuckled at his goofy cat, petting his belly as he stretched onto his back, Gavin figured maybe they could get along after all.

——

“How are you holding up?” a soft voice interrupts Gavin’s misery as he looks up. The light of day was lower, but still a few hours before light. Leaving less son coating the room, but still its warmth. The voice entering is a gentle face, Jack, one of his father’s closest advisors. And good friend to Gavin as well.

Gavin sighs, glancing back down to Jeremy to count one more breath. “I’m fine. It’s him we should be worried about.”

“The healer says he will be fine,” Jack assures as he moves over, placing a comforting hand to his shoulder. “The wound has been bandaged and wasn’t deep enough to be fatal. He’s just sleeping off the medication they gave when they were patching him up. Plus, from what I’ve seen, he’s a pretty sturdy guy. I know he’ll be back on his feet in no time.”

Gavin nods as he listens. He’s been told as much already. But until he sees those warm eyes again, he just can’t fully believe it. Can’t calm hs buzzing body.

Jack sighs at his silence, pulling Gavin into a hug. Holding him tight like he used to when he was a child. “It’s not your fault,” Jack says, always able to see right into Gavin’s heart. “He did what he was supposed to, what he trained for. He protected you.”

Gavin shakes his head. “He shouldn’t have needed to. I shouldn’t have been so stupid.”

“Oh, Gav,” Jack says softly, brushing through his hair. “Listen. He will recover. And we have the man who did this in our dungeons. We’ve learned and we’ll adapt. Jeremy will be back at your side before you know it.”

“He better,” Gavin mumbles, not realizing the tears on his face until Jack is offering a tissue to wipe them off. He holds tighter to Jack, voice starting to shake. “I have so much I need to tell him.”

“And he will hear. Just give it a little more time.”

——

It was a cautious friendship that grew. Mostly centered on Gavin’s cat, as Jeremy would ask questions and Gavin would readily answer him. Gavin found he enjoyed Jeremy’s laugh and voice and Fool loved the attention and it naturally grew from there.

Over time Gavin learned Jeremy had grown up on the coast, been training to be a knight the second he was able. He wasn’t born early enough to benefit from too much inheritance from his father, so he wanted to make his own path in life. Jeremy slowly learned Gavin was an orphan young, his parents a pair of nobles in the court that passed away due to illness. With no other family there had been questions about what to do with him until Geoff took him in. Gavin told him how much of a bleeding heart Geoff is, but how good of a King he is as well.

Gavin also learned Jeremy was hilarious, always having a perfectly timed joke to whisper to him in boring meetings. He learned Jeremy had thought pretty poorly of him at first and Gavin supposed he couldn’t blame him for that. 

But they catch on like wildfire once they started really talking. Once Jeremy realized Gavin wasn’t going to expect him to be an emotionless and stern knight all the time. Once Gavin realized Jeremy was forgiving and open. And of course, they both loved Gavin’s lovely cats.

“I’m surprised you don’t take them out more often,” Jeremy hummed as he stroked the fur of Gavin’s new kitten, an orange tabby that was found alone and too cute to stop them from taking in. The tabby paid little mind to the petting, looking around the plants of the garden they sat in, sniffing everything.

“The gardener doesn’t like them,” Gavin chuckled. “Said they trampled her flowers. Though they are much too small to do that bloody bad of damage.”

Jeremy laughed too, shaking his head. “Even little Zipper?” Jeremy held the orange cat in question, the one who convinced Gavin on it’s name. 

“I don’t understand it either,” Gavin smiled, reaching to pet Zipper’s head. The cat meowed in protest, ducking to see its new invader and knocking Gavin’s hand into Jeremy’s. They brush for the briefest second and yet Gavin felt his cheeks flush inexplicably.

“We’ll just have to keep sneaking them put when she’s not looking,” Jeremy grinned, oblivious to Gavin’s pause.

“Yeah,” Gavin said, shaking it off and focusing back on the cats, picking Fool up as he jumped over to Gavin’s side. “It’s nice being in the gardens while we can.”

Jeremy focused back on the cat and Gavin felt his cheeks, feeling the warmth that was there. He had no idea why his heart beat just a little bit faster but he found he couldn’t tear his gaze away from his knight.

——

It wasn’t that Geoff had no enemies. He had very little in fact, the people of the kingdom loved him. But there were some. It was his child that had seemed to have brought them up. Though that had only been when Gavin was younger, newly adopted and adding question to who is heir to the throne. It hadn’t sat well with some but Gavin hadn’t heard more whispers since he had been fully grown. It was easy to think those thoughts and oppositions gone. Easy to ignore and forget when there was so much more taking his attention.

——

“You know,” Jeremy interrupted the soft silence around them, the candle light flickering, the fireplace lit to take away the bite of the cold night. Jeremy stroked through a cat’s fur that was sleeping on his lap, a tiny pure black one that honestly was more Jeremy’s cat than Gavin’s. “Being Prince certainly wasn’t what I thought it was.”

Gavin chuckled, glancing to him from where he had been bent over his desk, working through a stack of papers all awaiting his ‘official’ response. “Much more boring than you thought?”

“I suppose,” Jeremy hummed. “But also… Much more skillful, I guess. You work hard. And seem to be good at what you do.”

Gavin’s glad for the low light as he felt his cheeks flush as he turned back around so he didn’t have to face Jeremy. “Why thank you,” he chuckled softly. “Expected a pampered brat when you joined?”

“Something like that,” Jeremy shrugged, honest. “Wasn’t sure what to think of you. And now I know I have no idea what to make of you.”

Gavin burst into bright laughter, shaking his head. He set his quill down, glancing back to him. “I hope I’m not that bad of a mess to you.”

“No! No, you’re not a mess,” Jeremy said and there’s… something in his expression. Something Gavin couldn’t place but then Jeremy tore his gaze away, looking back to the cat purring softly in his lap. “Just… different than I thought you’d be. And still full of surprises.”

Gavin watched him, seeing his form surrounded by the fire, tired and quieter but also softer than normal. The rough edges of his form dampened. “Don’t count yourself out, love. You’ve been surprising me from the start too.”

“I have?” Jeremy said, raising his head back up.

“Of course,” Gavin smiled. “A lot funnier than most stuffy old guards I’ve had. And bloody mental in the best ways.”

“Just because I am willing to eat whatever weird shit you find, doesn’t mean I’m that mental,” Jeremy retorted but was laughing softly himself. 

“You’re a good man,” Gavin corrected. “And a good friend, even if you didn’t need to be.”

Jeremy blinked and for a moment Gavin could’ve sworn he saw his cheeks darken but then he had turned his head away again. “Thank you,” he coughed. “You’re a good friend too. Even if you didn’t need to be.”

——

“Gavin, you can’t stay here forever,” Geoff’s soft but firm voice comes through, startling Gavin who was starting to doze in his seat.

“I’m staying just until Jeremy wakes up,” Gavin huffs, running a hand down his face, trying to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He has no idea what time it is, but given how low the lit candles have gone, and the moonlight trickling in from outside, he can tell he’s been here for a bit.

“That could still be a while,” Geoff sighs, moving over and placing a gentle hand on his son’s shoulder. “You need to sleep as well.”

Gavin shakes his head, earning another long suffering sigh but Geoff seems to understand enough to not press. “The man who did this is caught,” he assures instead. “And will be dealt with accordingly. And we’ll increase your protection, have more guards around-“

“What about Jeremy?” Gavin says, looking up to him, panic in those tired eyes. “Is he still going to be my guard?”

“Once he’s fully back on his feet. And if he still wants the position. Though something tells me he will,” Geoff smirks, something knowing in it and Gavin’s cheeks flush a bit under his look.

“You can’t say that for sure,” Gavin huffs, turning his gaze back to Jeremy’s chest. Rising. Falling. Steady.

“I can,” Geoff says, leaning over to kiss Gavin’s head. “Get some sleep, ok? We’ll wake you up the second he does.”

“I don’t think I can sleep,” Gavin admits, leaning into Geoff’s comforting form. 

“Well, just get the rest you can then,” Geoff assures, holding his son tight. Tighter than he has in a long time. “I’m so glad you’re ok,” he breathes against him. “And I’m so sorry this happened. To you. And to someone you care about. I want to protect you. I will protect you. Both of you.”

Gavin wraps his arms around him, burying against his chest. Held so tight and so close, Gavin feels tears in his eyes and before he can stop himself, starts crying into Geoff. Crying from fear, from worry, from sorrow of what was almost lost, from guilt of what he had almost caused. But also of relief, for a promise of a second chance. And mostly crying just from the exhaustion from the weight of all if it.

——

“Cmon, we might be able to make it back!” Jeremy said with a flushed face and bright eyes as he grabbed Gavin’s hand and pulled him along.

“Before what? It’s already raining!” Gavin laughed in turn, holding his other hand above his head though it was useless against the water that fell and soaked through his clothes. They had been in the garden again, too see the new blooms. But the sky opened up suddenly, drenching them though neither really cared.

“Before it gets worse!” Jeremy laughed in turn, not stopping as they ran. Feet splashed through puddles, the wind cut across their faces but the laughter never stopped and Gavin’s never felt more free in the world.

They finally stopped as they reached the threshold of the building, breathless but sharing big grins. Jeremy’s eyes shone as he looked to him and it made Gavin’s heart skip a beat as he stared back. Looked at that carefree, gorgeous smile. A smile like the sun rising, breaking through the chill of morning as it warms your face. Like the first bloom of flowers telling spring is here to fight off the winter. Like a loyal knight cracking jokes under his breath in boring meetings to make his Prince laugh. Like a friend, sitting and playing with his cats, taking care of them, with a loving look on his face.

Gavin blinks and stares as his heart freezes in sudden understanding.

It’s funny in a way, isn’t it? Realizing what you already knew. Understanding what you’ve known. As Gavin watched his knight, his guard, his _friend_ laugh, he finally understood. 

Gavin is in love.

Oh no, he’s in love.

——

Though he was in love, he couldn’t admit it. Refused to admit it aloud. Couldn’t let anything happen from it and so he pulled away. Pulled back so hard because he just couldn’t hurt Jeremy in that way. They couldn’t, shouldn’t be together because that just wasn’t fair to Jeremy. (It was fear too, what if Jeremy didn’t love him back, what if he didn’t want to be friends anymore) And so Gavin wouldn’t talk as much, laugh as much with Jeremy even though it pained his very soul to be away.

It had been nasty, in the end. Jeremy was so desperate, pleading to know what was going on that had Gavin being so distant, so short with him. And Gavin. Gavin just couldn’t bring the words to his lips.

“It doesn’t matter,” Gavin had snapped. “You are just my guard. Guarding me should be all that concerns you.”

“I’m also your friend!” Jeremy snapped, reaching out to him but Gavin forced himself to move away. “Why won’t you talk to me about what’s going on? Did I do something wrong? Just tell me!”

“No! No, you didn’t do anything, I just-“ the words caught in his throat and he shook his head. “I need to be alone. Just leave. Let me be alone.”

Jeremy, the sweet, kind, amazing, person he is just looked more worried than broken but unfortunately listened to Gavin. Stepped out and away, leaving Gavin fully alone as he held back tears and shaking hands. Stupidly fucking alone and that’s why this is all his fault.

After that, it was so sudden, a blur. 

He had been alone in the castle, wandering blindly to work through his thoughts. Work through the far too many emotions aching in his bones. Then a flash, metal flashing in the rare drops of candlelight and moonlight flickering in the halls. Gavin, so lost in his head, did not notice the person approaching until it was too late.

Gavin remembers seeing the sword, remembers ducking and falling to the floor. He must’ve yelled, his throat hurt and ached, but he hadn’t realized it. He fought and thrashed as his assailant fell over him, the blade leaving long cuts into the wood of the floor besides his head as the person swung over and over.

Gavin grabbed at his arms, holding them back as the blade aimed towards his neck. Gavin’s arms shook and his body burned as fear gripped him. The person wasn’t relenting, grunting in their effort to kill him, pierce his skin.

Then, suddenly, the attacker was off of him, thrown to the side. And Jeremy, the angel, the beautiful, magnificent creature that he is, was standing there. His own sword drawn, he stood over Gavin’s form, commanding for him to leave, get out.

Relief led to horror as Jeremy swung his sword to fight only for his blood to end up dripping onto the floor, grunts of pain echoing.

And then the earth shattering terror as Jeremy fell to the ground, collapsing. The attacker, wounded themself, had ran. Gavin should’ve ran as Jeremy said but his feet wouldn’t allow him to leave. Rushing forward, he picked up Jeremy’s form, cradling him in his arms as he tried to stop the blood, the life, slipping out of him.

Gavin remembers screaming then. He never wanted to stop.

——

Gavin didn’t notice when he fell asleep, the exhaustion carrying him over as he slumped across Jeremy’s bed. He feels poking, something touching his shoulder and his first instinct is to groan and shake it off. Then he hears a snicker, familiar, and it makes his heart turn so he blinks and opens his eyes.

And staring back are Jeremy’s own. Open, soft, alive. “Morning, sleepyhead,” comes his teasing voice and Gavin has never been so happy in his life.

“Jeremy,” he breathes, jumping up and holding his hands so tight, tears pricking his eyes as he feels Jeremy hold tight too.

“Hey, Gav. Are you ok? The fucker didn’t hurt you, did he? Fuck, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there, I know I was supposed to always be at your side-“

Gavin cuts him off, instinct, love, desire, pure, pure relief driving him forward as he seals his lips over Jeremy’s. Jeremy’s lips are so much softer than he imagined, warm and firm and it steals Gavin’s breath all over again.

As Gavin comes back to himself, realizing he shouldn’t be doing this, he shouldn’t have done this, Jeremy pushes against him, a blessed sigh escaping as he kisses Gavin back. A desperation in it, leaving them out of breath when they finally part.

“Jeremy, I- I’m so sorry,” Gavin stammers now. “You shouldn’t have gotten hurt, I shouldn’t have-“

“It’s fine,” Jeremy sighs. “I mean, fuck, we have a lot to talk about. But not yet. Soon, but fuck my side hurts and I think I need like a week to recover from that kiss, holy shit.”

Gavin can’t help but chuckle, lifting Jeremy’s hand and pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. “You’re a pretty good kisser yourself.”

Jeremy smiles, eyes so warm and gorgeous and _alive_. And finally Gavin’s heart stills in his chest, reassurance firm and steady. He knows now that they’re going to be ok. And that they’ll be ok together.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on my twitter or tumblr, both shadeofazmeinya ! As always comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!!


End file.
